123RF vs Shutterstock

123RF is a stock-content service for photos, vectors, videos, audio, fonts, and AI creative tools. The site advertises more than 302 million stock assets, including vector, illustration, and editorial content. Its AI Suite includes image and video generation, upscaling, generative fill, background blur and remix, background removal, and image extension. Stock images are described as royalty-free for marketing, advertising, and business use. The Standard License permits up to 500,000 print-runs but excludes merchandise for sale; the Extended License permits unlimited print-runs and merchandise for sale. Buyers can use credits or PLUS subscriptions. Credits start at $7.95, paid once, with credits valid for one year. PLUS starts at $24.50 a month for one user and has a daily download limit; PLUS Team costs $16.10 a month per seat for up to five users. The service runs on the web and offers an API for integrating image search, viewing, and downloads. Compatible AI clients can use its MCP connection to search and license photos and vectors with an active plan. 123RF was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Shutterstock is a paid creative platform for finding and licensing photos, vectors, illustrations, video, 3D models, music, and sound effects. It is available on the web and through an API, which can bring library search and licensing into third-party applications. The company says its library contains more than 450 million images and grows by 200,000 images a day. Image tools include Expand Image, Variations, Magic Brush, and Background Remover; the remover works only on images up to 7000×5000 pixels and does not remove vector background layers. Its AI image generator returns four results per prompt, downloadable under a Standard or Enhanced license. Both licenses allow perpetual use of downloaded content; Enhanced adds permissions for merchandise, templates, and unlimited physical print runs. Unlimited plans include models from Runway, Google, OpenAI, and others, but cap downloads at 100 assets daily. Monthly subscription downloads do not roll over. The API license bars raw asset-file access or downloads and requires assets delivered in an app to be limited to projects created there. The listed 10-image subscription is $25 a year, billed yearly at $300; a one-time image pack is 29.00 USD.